Goodness Gracious Me (1996)
Synopsis
Goodness Gracious Me is a BBC English language sketch comedy show originally aired on BBC Radio 4 from 1996 to 1998 and later televised on BBC Two from 1998 to 2001. The ensemble cast were four British Indian actors, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Kulvinder Ghir, Meera Syal and Nina Wadia. The show explored the conflict and integration between traditional Indian culture and modern British life. Some sketches reversed the roles to view the British from an Indian perspective, and others poked fun at Indian stereotypes. In the television series most of the white characters were played by Dave Lamb and Fiona Allen; in the radio series those parts were played by the cast themselves. The show's title and theme tune is a bhangra rearrangement of a hit comedy song of the same name. The original was performed by Peter Sellers and Sophia Loren reprising their characters from the 1960 film The Millionairess. The show's original working title was "Peter Sellers is Dead", but was changed because the cast generally liked Peter Sellers. In her 1996 novel Anita and Me, Syal had referred to British parodies of Asian speech as "a goodness-gracious-me accent". One of the more famous sketches featured the cast "going out for an English" after a few lassis. They mispronounce the waiter's name, order the blandest thing on the menu and ask for twenty-four plates of chips. The sketch parodies often-drunk English people "going out for an Indian", ordering chicken phall and too many papadums. This sketch was voted the 6th Greatest Comedy Sketch on a Channel 4 list show.
First Air Date: 1996-07-05
Last Air Date: 2001-03-16
Number of Seasons: 3
Number of Episodes: 22
Created By: Sanjeev Bhaskar, Meera Syal, Anil Gupta
Networks: BBC One
Top Cast
- Nina Wadia as N/A
- Meera Syal as N/A
- Kulvinder Ghir as N/A
- Sanjeev Bhaskar as N/A
- Konnie Huq as N/A
- Emma Kennedy as N/A
- Loyd Grossman as N/A
- Parminder Nagra as N/A
- Art Malik as N/A
- Mariella Frostrup as N/A
Seasons
Specials (1998)
No overview available for this season.
Episodes:
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Ep. 1: Christmas Special
No overview for this episode.
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Ep. 2: LIVE on the Road '99
No overview for this episode.
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Ep. 3: Back Where They Came From
A special edition of the sketch show takes the familiar characters to India to continue its irreverent take on modern society.
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Ep. 4: Series 1 Outtakes and Bloopers
No overview for this episode.
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Ep. 5: Interview with Nina Wadia
No overview for this episode.
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Ep. 6: Series 2 Outtakes and Bloopers
No overview for this episode.
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Ep. 7: Reunion Special
Sanjeev Bhaskar, Kulvinder Ghir, Meera Syal and Nina Wadia reunite for a one-off special of the ground-breaking sketch show. The all-new material features favourite characters from the original series, including how you can tell Sherlock Holmes comes from India, some very competitive grandmothers, and a surprisingly hi-tech use for an aubergine. Plus some unusually hard-hitting legal advice, a very scary nanny, and the heart-breaking denouement of the black and white movie classic Madrasablanca.
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Ep. 8: India Special
The original cast of the award-winning British-Asian sketch show reunite for this one-off special as part of BBC Two's India Season. Featuring new sketches, including twists on old favourites, such as how the Kapoors first became the English-obsessed Coopers, what enables the Indian Space Programme to do things so much more cheaply than NASA and how the Taj Mahal was nearly a radically different design. Starring Sanjeev Bhaskar, Kulvinder Ghir, Meera Syal and Nina Wadia with Dave Lamb. Guest starring Art Malik.
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Ep. 9: 20 Years Innit!
Programme from 2018 marking 20 years since Goodness Gracious Me launched British Asian comedy onto mainstream TV. To celebrate the impact the series had on British comedy and culture, the show's stars look back at how it all began and how they created some of the best-loved comedy sketches and characters. From Indian Dad and Mr Cheque Please to the agenda-setting, opening episode classic Going for an English - 'What's the blandest thing on the menu?' - GGM held up a mirror to contemporary British society and appealed to audiences from all cultural backgrounds. The cast and creators come up with their top ten sketches or characters, and the public chooses its favourite Goodness Gracious Me moment of all - revealed at the end of this one-off special.
Trailers & Videos
Images & Backdrops
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Where to Watch
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